Not Enough
by say hello to the angels
Summary: Alt. Ending to "Age of Steel" when they escape the factory in the parallel universe. What if the Cyber-Controller was a bit quicker? What if Jackie hadn't responded so well to the TARDIS' appearance in her flat? A bit of Doctor abuse and an angry Jackie, because those are great combinations... right?
1. Chapter 1

**Not Enough**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it!**

**Summary: Alternate Ending to "Age of Steel." What if the Cyber-Controller was a bit quicker? What if Jackie hadn't responded so well to the TARDIS' appearance in her flat? A bit of Doctor abuse and an angry Jackie, because those are great combinations.**

* * *

They'd done it. They'd found the code to turn off the emotional inhibitor and deployed it, rendering all of the Cybermen useless as they screamed in agony over their condition. Explosions erupted all around them as they frantically made for an exit, any exit they could find. Just behind them, the Cyber-Controller was pulling at attachments that held him in place, roaring in anger as he went.

Just as the group thought there would be no way out, Rose's mobile rang with instructions from Mickey to head for the roof. They raced up the stairs as explosions and fire burst out around them. Once on the roof, they saw the zeppelin hovering above them. It didn't take long for a door to open on the bottom of it and for a rope ladder to unfurl towards them. The Doctor ushered Rose on and then Pete before glancing back at the door they'd come out. It seemed that Lumic wasn't about to let them go without a good chase.

The Doctor jumped on the rope and the zeppelin slowly started to ascend, but they were jolted when Lumic caught hold of the rope several rungs below where the Doctor was holding on. Rose screamed at him to climb up, but he instead chose to pull out his trusty sonic screwdriver, holding it to one of the ropes at knee level.

Lumic had already progressed by several rungs and was one rung away when the rope finally snapped. With a cry of rage he swung his arm upwards and grasped the first thing he could reach even as the other rope broke under his weight. Lumic began to fall back towards the burning building, but it wasn't all for naught. He'd managed to grasp the Doctor's ankle, gripping it tightly and ripping him from the rope as well.

Rose shrieked even louder as the two fell back through the air. Above her, Mickey saw what had happened and hurried to lower the zeppelin beside the building.

The Doctor screamed in pain as his ankle was nearly crushed under Lumic's grasp. He shut his eyes and tried to brace himself for the fall towards the building and almost couldn't believe his luck that Lumic was underneath him. The Cyber-Controller's metal body crashed through the roof and through another floor before losing momentum and hitting a concrete floor painfully hard.

Lumic released his hold on the Doctor as they fell through the burning layers of the building. The Doctor gasped painfully as they crashed through the building, not able to avoid a rather deep contusion on his right shoulder. When the fall came to an end, he hit Lumic and was propelled a few feet from the metal man. He struggled to pick himself up off the floor but his arms shook and he collapsed back down on his back, letting his eyes slide shut for a moment.

Falling embers and loud explosions brought the Doctor back to awareness, and he groaned in pain as he clutched his shoulder and leaned to the left to get the weight off of it. As he breathed in hot air, he glanced around for any sign of Lumic, finding him just over a meter away and inching closer.

"Doctor! Look around you! Look at what you've done!" Lumic shouted as he pulled himself closer.

The Doctor winced painfully as he used his uninjured arm to push himself further out of Lumic's reach. "This was your own doing, Lumic!" he cried in response, flinching as he felt something singe his jacket.

"No! This was _your_ doing, Doctor!" Lumic roared. "Look at them writhe in agony from their emotions! I had saved them from that until you came along! You've torn them apart, killed them, in the worst possible way, and you know it!" The Cyber-Controller pulled himself forward a bit more and reached again for the Doctor, though he was still just out of his grasp.

The Doctor knew Lumic was right; what worse way was there to die then to let your own emotions kill you? Lumic saw this in the Doctor's angered gaze and shouted over the ongoing explosions and crashes, "Thousands of innocents that I made better," Lumic growled, "dead by your hand! What kind of doctor would murder so callously?"

"You left me no choice!" the Doctor growled as he pushed himself back further.

"You had the choice to leave them be! But instead, you took it upon yourself to _save _them..." the Cyber-Controller responded as he pulled himself forward a bit more. "If that's how you save people, Doctor, then the least you can do is join them!" Lumic raged as he shoved himself forward and within reach of the Doctor, who had gone still at Lumic's words. Just as he was about to finish him off, Lumic's metal form was pumped with electricity and he froze in agony, just inches from the Doctor.

"Doctor!" Rose's voice sounded from behind Lumic, jolting the Doctor into movement. Forgetting his injuries at the sound of her voice, he jumped up and darted over to Rose's side. Mickey and Jake stood next to her, each holding a weapon that was still firing at Lumic and holding the Cyber-Controller in place.

"Allons-y!" he gasped, pulling on Rose's arm. Mickey turned and led them out the way they had come in. They escaped again just in time for the entire ceiling to come crashing down on Lumic, ensuring their victory for now.

If Rose noticed that the Doctor was gripping her arm tighter than usual, she didn't comment. Together, the group set off for the zeppelin, greeting Pete and making their way back to the TARDIS. Once there, the Doctor limped towards it, letting Rose say her farewells to her parallel father. After getting the power in the TARDIS back online, he leaned out the door to let Rose know that they had five minutes before they'd depart for the proper universe.

The news that Mickey wanted to stay in this universe didn't surprise him as much as it shocked Rose, who was immediately consumed by tears. Her grief only grew when her parallel father turned her away, not wanting to recognize that this strange girl that seemed so familiar could actually be his daughter. When the Doctor finally got Rose to back into the TARDIS, she was biting her lip to hold in the emotions.

He limped back toward the console, beginning to feel the ache from his entire body as he started the sequence that would send them home. Rose staggered back to the console and held on as they flew through time and space, the tears already seeping through her resolve.

The sound of the TARDIS faded away as they appeared where the Doctor had sent them. Able to relax now, Rose nearly collapsed against the console as her emotions hit her fully, but she paused as something pounded repeatedly against the doors of the ship. Momentarily worried that he had sent them to someplace even worse than before, Rose backed away from the door, but the Doctor placed a hand on her shoulder and she turned to him, tears still streaming down her face.

The Doctor was still leaning against the console, not about to test if he could hold himself up on his own just yet. Knowing that Rose needed to be reassured, he looked into her eyes and said calmly, "We're at your mum's, Rose. I promise you that what we're hearing right now is nothing but your mum." If he'd been feeling better, he would've added a rude comment about how Rose was right to be scared. As it was, that was the last thing Rose needed to deal with.

Rose didn't need to be told twice as she swiped a hand over her face to clear her tears and ran to the doors to swing them open. She barely had them open before her mum stormed in, shouting about how rude the Doctor was to go and fill up her flat with his 'bloody spaceship.' Thankfully, she was distracted when she turned to look at Rose and saw how upset her daughter was.

"Rose, sweetie, wha's happened?" she asked, instantly switching to the mode of the worried mother.

Rose swallowed painfully and choked out, "Got s-stuck, in a parallel universe. Mum, it was h-horrible! Mickey's..." Rose couldn't say anything more and burst into tears at her friend's name.

The Doctor sighed and flicked a switch into the off mode and tried to avoid Jackie's gaze as it swung around the TARDIS. As her eyes filled with frightened confusion, she let go of Rose and stormed up to the Doctor, backing him even farther into the console.

"Where is he?" she asked sternly.

It wasn't that he was afraid of Jackie, but rather that he really didn't like it when she was angry – particularly when she was angry at him, which was most of the time. Trying not to sound nervous, he answered, "He's not here. He stayed in the parallel universe."

"You lost him!?" she shrieked, now just shy of enraged. He didn't have any time to dodge her as she whipped her hand up and smacked him cleanly on the face. The Doctor's face wasn't the only thing that stung in the moments that followed as he could almost feel his pride and composure slipping away through the floors of the TARDIS.

The Doctor was about to respond in like form when Rose stepped up and put a hand on her mum's shoulder. "It's not his fault, Mum," she said, sniffling still.

"The 'ell it's not!" Jackie nearly screamed. She stepped back from the Doctor and appeared to be preparing for her lecture mode when she stopped abruptly and actually looked at him. "What on Earth happened to you, then?" she asked, in a much calmer tone than either the Doctor or Rose had expected. His tux was ripped in several places and there were a few stains that barely stood out on his black jacket and the lower half of one of his pant legs.

The Doctor, glad for a distraction from Jackie's anger but not wanting that much attention, quickly tried to redirect the girls. "What on parallel Earth, you mean, Jackie."

Rose stepped closer and peered at him as well. "Doctor..." she said hesitantly, looking at the rips in his tux and obviously thinking back to the mess that was Cybus Industries and all that happened there.

"I'm fine, anyways," he asserted, crossing his arms protectively as they stared. "Rose, why don't you go catch up with your mum?" he asked, knowing how much she wanted to be near her mum at the moment.

Sure enough, Rose glanced at her mum and the Doctor saw traces of tears building up in her eyes. She turned back to him and asked, "Are you sure you'll be alright?"

"Of course," he said, grinning easily at her. "I'm always alright. I've got to make some repairs in any case, so go on."

Rose rolled her eyes at him, since he was always making repairs to his ship. She gently guided her mum out of the TARDIS and as the doors shut, the Doctor breathed a sigh of relief that Jackie would be occupied for at least a few hours. He turned and leaned against the console again, feeling more tired than he cared to admit at the moment. With a groan, he sank to the floor next to the console and decided that he'd start on any repairs in a while.

Outside the TARDIS, Jackie led Rose to her room and onto her bed and then went to make some tea. When she came back with the tea, Rose was sitting and leaning forward on the bed, crying softly. Jackie set the tea down distractedly and sat next to her daughter, pulling her into a tight hug as they both thought of Mickey. Rose tried to explain a bit more, but she was still too choked up about it all. Jackie didn't press her for more, and she was almost relieved when she looked down at her daughter a while later and saw that the girl had fallen asleep.

She carefully eased Rose back onto her bed and then stood up, looking over at the tea that had gone cold since she'd come back to find Rose crying. With a sigh, she picked it up and took it back into the kitchen, dumping it out and starting a fresh pot. Jackie couldn't believe that Mickey was in some parallel universe, though judging from how upset Rose was, it really wasn't that hard to believe. The way that Rose clung to her made her more worried than she cared to admit though. It was as if something else had happened that her daughter couldn't quite voice.

As the water for the tea boiled, Jackie decided to pour two cups and go in search of the Doctor. She needed something to do, and with any luck, he'd answer some of her questions about what had happened. As she set out two cups on a tray, she smirked to herself. '_That bloody alien will probably be wondering if I poisoned the tea_,' she thought, rolling her eyes. She walked out of the kitchen with the tea and nudged the doors of the blue box open.

Once inside, Jackie looked around but didn't see the Doctor anywhere. "Hmpf. Figures he'd make 'imself scarce when I go t'all this trouble," she muttered to herself. Not having anything better to do, she walked up towards the console so that she could set down one of the cups of tea in the hopes that he'd find it eventually. She jumped and nearly spilled the tea as, before she got to the chair, she noticed him sitting and leaning against the console.

"Oy! What you doin' down there?" she asked loudly, trying to cover how startled she'd been. He appeared as if he'd been sleeping, and his eyes remained closed even at the sound of her voice.

Hesitantly, she knelt before him and peered at him closer. His breathing sounded a bit strained and she could see the way that one of his hands was clenched in the fabric over his thigh. The other was braced against the floor to his left as if it were holding him up.

She reached up and patted his left shoulder a bit, asking, "Doctor? Wha's wrong?"

He let out a shaky breath and groaned lightly. "Mm fine..."

Jackie snorted and stated flatly, "Riiight... And I'm the Queen of England." He didn't respond to this, but she noticed him shiver and bring his arms up to wrap them around his waist. "You're cold... Can ya get up? I've got blankets in the flat an' we can get ya all sorted out," she asked, starting to get worried at this point. The Doctor wasn't supposed to be anything other than alright.

He didn't respond again except to continue shivering. "Righ'... Stay here, then. I'll be right back, yeah?" she told him even though he didn't acknowledge her at all. She jumped up and hurried out of the TARDIS. As she grabbed blankets from the couch, she prayed that another catastrophe wouldn't occur while the Doctor was like this. '_At least it's not Christmas this time 'round,_' she thought with a sigh.

Several minutes later, she returned with a couple of blankets. Just as she was about to wrap one around him, she remembered the rips and stains on his jacket and one of his pant legs. Jackie realized that he needed to be moved out of here and taken care of properly, since it was obvious that he wouldn't be able to do it himself any time soon. She straightened up and pulled out her phone, punching the number for Mickey's cell as she watched the Doctor. It was only as the call went to voicemail that she felt a cold sensation flow through her – Mickey was no longer here for them.

Snapping her phone shut in frustration, Jackie bent over the Doctor's form and shook the shoulder that looked less torn and stained lightly. "Come on, Doctor," she prompted quietly. He groaned and turned his head away from her sleepily. "You need to get up for jus' a few minutes an' then ya can sleep some more."

He cracked an eye open and watched her through tired eyes. "Where?" he asked, sounding half asleep.

"Jus' inside the flat. We'll put you up in my room, alrigh'?" Jackie almost expected him to argue since she doubted he wanted to spend any time in a place where she also spent time. He surprised her by nodding once and lifting a hand towards her. She grabbed it and helped him to stand up and lean against the console. Though she hadn't really looked, she knew his right ankle must have been injured since he let her help him limp all the way to her room.

The trek to her room seemed longer than it actually was and Jackie could feel how much the Doctor was shaking from the exertion. He nearly collapsed just before the bed, but she was able to steady him in time. He fell on the bed, totally exhausted and with a pained expression.

Jackie turned to get the blankets back but was stopped by his hand around her wrist. "Do ya need somethin'?"

"No... aspirin, Jackie..." he muttered, sounding as if he'd already starting to fall asleep.

"You want some then?" she asked, trying to clarify.

Without opening his eyes, he shook his head lightly and mumbled, "No... 'm 'llergic."

'_Well then,_' Jackie thought, '_I suppose I won't mix any into your tea then._' She stepped away to go fetch some clean water and bandages and considered waking Rose. Shaking her head lightly, she decided that she could handle this well enough for them.

Jackie spent part of the next hour carefully removing the Doctor's torn tux, trying to be gentle around the many scratches and bruises that were littered across his body. She marveled over the fact that he'd even been standing earlier when he and Rose had first arrived in her flat, and she immediately felt bad for slapping him when he was in such a state. Thankfully, neither Rose nor the Doctor woke as she tended to him. She did her best at cleaning the various cuts and wrapping them up.

The worst of the injuries seemed to be focused on his right shoulder and left ankle. The ankle looked like it had been broken in several places and the bruising was awful. She did the best that she could and, when she deemed the job to be finished, she dressed him in the same pajamas he'd worn before. She tucked the covers in around him and sat back, watching him as he slept for a moment. With a light smile, she said out loud, "You know... I don't want to slap you nearly as much when you're asleep."

Jackie got up and walked back to the kitchen, shutting the door to her bedroom quietly. She was about to start preparing something for her and Rose to eat, figuring that the Doctor probably wouldn't be up for a while, when Rose's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Mum? Mum!" Rose called.

"Yeah, Rose?" she answered, stepping into the living room in time to see Rose step out of the TARDIS.

"Mum, have you seen the Doctor? I can't find him in the TARDIS. Did he go somewhere?" Rose asked, worry overtaking her expression easily.

"Umm, not exactly," Jackie answered. "He's here in the flat."

"What you mean? Where?" she asked, glancing around the living room futilely again.

"He's in my room, love. I went to take him some tea after you'd fallen asleep and found him nearly passed out in that ship o' his. Couldn't hardly get up on 'is own," Jackie explained, wringing her hands together. Rose nearly ran the rest of the way to her mum's room and when Jackie caught up with her, she found Rose sitting next to the Doctor on the bed, gazing down at him. Rose was biting her lower lip, obviously upset at the state the Doctor was in.

"I didn't even think he'd be hurt..." Rose muttered quietly. "I was so upset about Mickey staying and..."

Jackie put her hands on Rose's shoulders and said, "Oh, swee'hear'... I think he'd understand tha'..."

"Did you do all this?" Rose asked, gesturing to the bandages and clean pajamas that the Doctor was now wearing.

"Yeah, well I couldn't jus' leave him sittin' there like that, now could I?" Jackie offered and Rose gave her a teary smile.

"Thanks, Mum," Rose said quietly, fingering the edge of the blanket that was tucked in around the Doctor. "Oh, I hope he'll be up soon, an' that he doesn't go an' change or summat."

Jackie nodded and stated, "I'll just be happy if those ruddy aliens would take a few days off while he's laid up."

Rose snickered lightly and said, "Oy, don't jinx us."

"Come on, let's go have a cup of tea now while he rests."

They walked into the kitchen together and Jackie set herself to making another pot of tea. Rose sank into a chair tiredly. "You know, Mum... I can see why Mickey wanted to stay in that other London, but it just doesn't feel right with him not barging in at the first sound of the TARDIS," she said, letting her mind wander again.

Jackie laughed sadly. She was still irked at the fact that the Doctor had managed to leave Mickey behind. "Yeah, an' you can bet that I'll be havin' a chat with that Doctor of yours about it as soon as he's up."

Rose shook her head and looked down. "It was Mickey's choice to make, Mum."

Jackie didn't respond to this, but instead decided to change the subject. "So tell me about some of your other adventures then," she asked with a smile. Rose brightened at the distraction and followed her mum into the living room where they could sit and talk more easily.

As Rose began to speak, Jackie made a mental note on the brightest Post-It she could find in her mind to question the Doctor later about Mickey's decision. She also wanted to ask what made Rose so anxious to be around her mum, not that Jackie was complaining. Still, it wasn't quite normal and she wanted answers.

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**If you made it this far, please drop a review and let me know what you think :) This is my first story on here and I'm sort of nervous about it... I hope you enjoyed it and thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Not Enough**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it!**

**Summary: Alternate Ending to "Age of Steel." What if the Cyber-Controller was a bit quicker? What if Jackie hadn't responded so well to the TARDIS' appearance in her flat? A bit of Doctor abuse and an angry Jackie, because those are great combinations.**

* * *

Previously:

Jackie laughed sadly. She was still irked at the fact that the Doctor had managed to leave Mickey behind. "Yeah, an' you can bet that I'll be havin' a chat with that Doctor of yours about it as soon as he's up."

Rose shook her head and looked down. "It was Mickey's choice to make, Mum."

Jackie didn't respond to this, but instead decided to change the subject. "So tell me about some of your other adventures then," she asked with a smile. Rose brightened at the distraction and followed her mum into the living room where they could sit and talk more easily.

As Rose began to speak, Jackie made a mental note on the brightest Post-It she could find in her mind to question the Doctor later about Mickey's decision. She also wanted to ask what made Rose so anxious to be around her mum, not that Jackie was complaining. Still, it wasn't quite normal and she wanted answers.

* * *

Seven hours later the two Tyler women were found gathered in front of Jackie's television which, thankfully, wasn't blocked by the TARDIS. Rose had long since drifted off to sleep, after going to check on the Doctor several times. Nothing had changed about him, which both girls were thankful for. Jackie sighed and stretched. '_At least there hasn't been anything strange in the news_,' she thought. With a distrustful look towards the television, she leaned over and knocked lightly on the wooden side table.

Almost as soon as she'd done so, she growled in irritation and stood up, glaring down the hallway where the Doctor was sleeping. "That bloody alien's got me all superstitious..." she muttered, trying to be quiet so she wouldn't wake Rose.

She began to walk away when Rose called to her in her sleep. Jackie immediately sat down next to her daughter and shook her shoulder lightly. Rose's eyes snapped open and she gasped in surprise before leaning forward and wrapping her arms around Jackie.

"Rose... Wha's wrong?" she asked worriedly. "You've been actin' strange 'round me, an' I don' think it's just Mickey tha's got you upset."

Rose bit her lip before shaking her head and saying, "It's nothin', Mum. It's done with, anyways..."

"Oh Rose, you know you can tell me. Holdin' it in isn't good for anyone," Jackie pleaded.

At her mum's words, Rose looked down and drew in a shaky breath. Before she had time to respond though, another voice cut in.

"Your mum's right, Rose."

Both Rose and Jackie turned sharply to see the Doctor leaning against the wall, watching them with a thoughtful expression on his face. He had his arms crossed over the pajamas he was wearing and was being careful not to put his weight down on his left ankle. From what Jackie could see of his bare feet, the ankle looked a bit less bruised than before, but it still had a ways to go before it was healed.

"Doctor!" Rose exclaimed, jumping up from the couch. Jackie stayed seated while her daughter darted to the Doctor's side. "How are you feelin'?" Rose asked, touching his arm gently.

The Doctor smiled at her and replied, "I'm fine." When Rose only stared at him silently, he added, "Ankle's pretty sore, but I heal quickly."

Jackie stood and said, "Well don't just stand around on it! Sit down!"

He complied quickly enough, limping to the couch and sinking into the cushions tiredly. The Doctor rubbed his face with both hands and then leaned back and said, "You know what sounds great?" When neither of the women said anything, he answered himself. "Cookies. Have you got any cookies, Jackie?" he asked with a grin.

"No," Jackie answered. "But Rose, maybe you could go an' get some, yeah? An' some 'ealthy food as well..."

The Doctor groaned and said, "So no cake then, I suppose..."

Rose smiled at him and said, "Honestly, your sweet tooth..."

Jackie stood and gave Rose some cash from her bag, receiving a promise to be quick in return. With a sigh, Jackie turned back towards the Doctor who had since leaned his head against the couch and closed his eyes. "I'm not helpin' you back into bed again if you fall asleep out here," she commented. The Doctor opened his eyes and smiled at her.

"I'll do my best then," he said cheerily, though it was quieter than usual. He didn't close his eyes again, but neither did he say anything else. Jackie considered it terribly out of character for the almost hyperactive man that he usually was. _'Alien_,' she mentally corrected herself. _'Nothing human about him but his looks,'_ she thought.

Feeling awkward just standing there, Jackie sat down next to him and asked, "What was it that you think Rose needs to tell me?"

The Doctor seemed to visibly deflate next to her. After a pause, he reluctantly began speaking, "There was a man that was trying to do whatever he could to prolong his life, mainly for his own benefit. He was creating the Cybermen. They're... they're a sort of robot that are merged with a person."

Jackie nodded and said, "Rose told me a bit 'bout them. They sure sound like scary buggers... Was that man tryin' to become one?"

The Doctor shrugged and said, "I don't think he'd planned on it, but it was inevitable, in the long run."

Jackie frowned in confusion. "Something else happened though. Just that wouldn't be enough to bother Rose so much."

He nodded and began to explain the parallel Pete and Jackie, and how the EarPods controlled everyone. Almost all of what he said was news to Jackie, since Rose had been so reluctant to speak of it. She was horrified to hear about how actual people were mutilated and turned into emotionless robot-like beings. He lifted his eyes to her and she thought that she'd never seen him look so serious before. "It sickens you, doesn't it?" he asked. "Imagine if that happened to you."

She didn't want to.

He turned his eyes back to the floor and said, "It did though. Rose and Pete found the parallel version of you already changed."

Jackie and the Doctor were silent as she processed this. _'No wonder Rose had been so anxious to see me,'_ Jackie thought sadly. She clenched her fists in her lap and frowned. Glancing across the room at the TARDIS, she thought back to how tearful and upset Rose had been upon arriving. Her daughter was hurt. Her little girl had practically just witnessed her mum's death and, on top of that, she'd lost Mickey with little to no chance at ever seeing him again! No child should ever have to go through that, and Jackie was enraged that her daughter had.

Jackie huffed with anger and stood abruptly. The Doctor lifted his head and watched her warily.

"You..." she muttered, having found someone to direct her anger at. "You were supposed to keep her safe!" she shouted.

The Doctor held out his hands from where he was seated and exclaimed, "I did! She's here and not hurt and-"

"Not hurt?! You take her away and make her witness _that_ and when she comes back in tears, you have the nerve to say she's okay!?"

At these words, the Doctor stood in an attempt to level out the conversation, though he was quickly getting just as angry as she was. "You think I _wanted_ her to see all of that? I tried to make her stay in the TARDIS, but she wouldn't listen to me!"

"Yeah?" Jackie challenged. "Well you didn't try hard enough, did you?! She's 'ad her 'eart broken witnessing tha', an' I bet that was before you went an' left her Mickey behind!"

His shoulders tensed under her words and he growled out, "He wanted to stay. It was his choice, Jackie."

"He was barely there for a day!" she exclaimed incredulously. "How could he possibly have had enough time to really think it through?"

The Doctor didn't have a response for this but he glared back at her nonetheless.

"If Rose wanted to stay, would you 'ave left her jus' the same?" Jackie asked quietly, her anger bubbling just below the surface but needing a response to this question.

The Doctor's expression hardened and he said coldly, "Of course not. I wouldn't leave her."

Jackie smiled bitterly and threw his words right back at him. "But what if she wanted to stay? Isn't it her choice?"

"I..." the Doctor started to say, but he paused. "I wouldn't leave her," he finished quietly, much of his frustration leaving his face and being replaced with something that Jackie refused to recognize at the moment.

"But you wouldn't bring her back home to me, either. You promised to keep her safe and always bring her back to me, but that means nothing to you, doesn't it? It's all about what you want, isn't it, Doctor?" she bit out harshly.

"She's an adult, Jackie. She's allowed to make her own-"

He was cut off as Jackie lost her control and slapped him fiercely. He nearly fell in surprise as he raised a hand to his face and gazed at her silently, his face nearly blank at this point. Jackie could feel the tension mount in the air and a small part of her brain sent out warning signals. They screamed that she was very close to crossing a line, but she ignored them. She was too agitated to stop now.

"Don't you ever tell me what my daughter's allowed to do. You'll never understand because you don't love her like I do," Jackie whispered heatedly. "She is my _child_. And there is no way I'm going to let some bloody alien who can't even understand that kind of love take her away from me. I won't lose her to the likes of you."

The Doctor didn't respond except to tense up even more. This wasn't the reaction that Jackie had desired and, though she wouldn't be able to clearly state what response she was looking for, she let her anger and frustration flood through her again.

She pointed her finger at him and poked him in the chest. With a harsh breath, she bit out, "Rose claims tha' you do so much to help people, but it's so much more than that, isn't it? You snatch up people so that you can have company without a thought for their safety or what you're puttin' their families through. An' that's just the ones that actually know you!" she exclaimed, building up to a full boil faster than her tea kettle could. "All those people that were changed like my parallel self – all of them, dead, yeah?!"

"There was nothing I could do for them," he said, his voice quiet as he tried to control his anger.

"Oh, I'm _sure_," Jackie said sarcastically. "More like you couldn't be bothered to. I wonder if any of that would've happened if you hadn't been there. Trouble just seems to follow you everywhere, doesn't it?"

At her words, something shifted on the Doctor's face. A pained expression crossed onto his features as he stood there trying not to react. Jackie could see his hands trembling as he hissed, "What would you have me do?"

Jackie nearly exploded. She would later blame it on the built up stress from the entire day.

"What would I have you do!? I'd have you get the hell out of my flat! And take that ruddy box with ya!" Jackie all but screamed at the Doctor.

With a rigid nod, the Doctor stepped past her, limping slightly due to his ankle. Jackie didn't turn to watch him as, without a word, he stormed into the TARDIS and slammed the door shut. A moment later she heard the familiar sound of the ship leaving.

Jackie stood in place and tried to calm down for several minutes after he left. She'd only just got her breathing to level out when Rose returned to the flat, arms loaded with small bags of cookies and what looked like Chinese take-out. Rose came to a halt when she saw her mum frozen in the living room and the TARDIS missing.

"Mum?" Rose asked hesitantly. "Mum, where's the Doctor? Did you two argue again?" she asked, her voice filling with disappointment at the thought. She had hoped that they'd get along just this once at least.

Jackie turned to face her daughter and said sternly, "I don't want you going off with him again."

"Well too bad, Mum. That's not your decision to make. Now tell me where he went. Where'd the TARDIS go?" Rose asked, setting the bags down by the couch but not turning away from her mum.

"Haven't you learned anything from this last experience, Rose?" Jackie demanded, still upset over everything. "He gets people hurt, an' worse! All those people that were killed – you saw them! And he hurt you, Rose. You've lost Mickey and he told me about what happened with parallel me."

Rose stared at her mum in shock, not having expected this. "He didn't kill anyone, Mum! There was no other choice! It was the only way to stop the process from happening to so many more people!" Rose shouted back.

"No other choice," Jackie ground out. "All he ever seems to do is get into trouble and then people get hurt, and can you blame me if it seems like he's at fault? I didn't hear him deny that!"

"Mum!" Rose cried in despair, wishing more than ever that she had just called for take-out and had it delivered. She couldn't imagine the Doctor having to sit through one of her mum's famous tirades, and especially not if her mum had accused him of intentionally hurting anyone. She'd be lying if she said that he didn't already feel responsible for it all. "Tell me you didn't say any of that to him," she pleaded with her mum as tears came to her eyes.

Jackie could actually feel the anger leaving her and she shrank in on herself as she realized how upset her daughter was. And it was her fault. She let herself think back to all that she'd said to the Doctor and felt her stomach shift violently. _'And now I'm doing the very thing I accused him of – hurting Rose,'_ she thought miserably.

She brought a hand to her mouth and looked at Rose with tears in her eyes. "Oh Rose, I'm so sorry..." she whispered. "I was just so worried..."

Rose's face fell even more but she stepped forward and wrapped her mum in a hug anyways. Rose didn't say anything; she didn't need to. She could tell that her mum already regretted what she'd said to the Doctor.

Jackie pulled away quickly and held Rose's shoulders so that she could look at her. "We've got to find him, then," she stated firmly, bringing a hand up to wipe at her eyes.

"We?" Rose asked, uncertain about the fact that Jackie wanted to fix this.

"Yes," she answered, turning away to get her shoes and jacket. "He won't have gone far in that ruddy box of his."

Rose sighed and said, "Mum... He could've gone anywhere and to any time."

"We'll find him," Jackie resolved.

"Not if he doesn't want to be found," Rose said, staring out the window forlornly.

Jackie picked up her purse and swung it over her shoulder before facing Rose again. "Sweethear', he'll be nearby. I know I don't get on well with him all tha' much, but I can sense when a guy's being honest. An' he wouldn't leave you," she said quietly. "Not due to the likes of me."

Rose nearly started to cry again as Jackie hugged her and led her outside. They walked down the steps and over to where the Doctor normally parked the TARDIS. It wasn't there.

"Alright," Jackie stated, putting her hands on her hips. "Why don't you go on up the street and search out tha' way," she directed, pointing past the apartment a ways. "An' I'll head out the other way."

Rose nodded and took off while saying that she'd phone Jackie if she found the TARDIS. Jackie straightened her jacket and marched off in the opposite direction. As she walked, she pondered what she would say to the Doctor if she was the one to find him. The more she thought back on everything she'd said, the more terrible she felt.

She'd only gone about two blocks when it started to rain. Jackie muttered in frustration and zipped her jacket up farther as the heavy rain started to seep through it. It didn't help that it was getting dark as well. At this rate, finding the TARDIS seemed very unlikely, but Jackie wasn't about to give up just yet. She kept on walking for another thirty minutes, glancing down side streets and even walking down a few of them to look down parallel streets, but she didn't see a single blue police box.

Jackie's phone rang and she smiled as she saw that it was Rose. She answered quickly, asking if Rose had found the Doctor yet. When Rose said that she hadn't, and that she'd been calling the TARDIS with her mobile almost constantly, Jackie's heart broke for her daughter. Reluctantly, she told Rose to head back to the flat and wait there.

"But Mum, I can't just give up looking for him," Rose cried over the connection.

"You won't, sweetheart... But what if he heads back there and we're not there?" Jackie offered. "I'm gonna check a couple more streets and then head back to meet you, okay? We'll think of something."

* * *

**Please let me know what you think! There should be just one more chapter to follow, and it'll get up quicker with more motivation ;) Thanks for reading and I hope you're all having a wonderful summer!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Not Enough**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it!**

**Summary: Alternate Ending to "Age of Steel." What if the Cyber-Controller was a bit quicker? What if Jackie hadn't responded so well to the TARDIS' appearance in her flat? A bit of Doctor abuse and an angry Jackie, because those are great combinations.**

* * *

Previously:

Jackie's phone rang and she smiled as she saw that it was Rose. She answered quickly, asking if Rose had found the Doctor yet. When Rose said that she hadn't, and that she'd been calling the TARDIS with her mobile almost constantly, Jackie's heart broke for her daughter. Reluctantly, she told Rose to head back to the flat and wait there.

"But Mum, I can't just give up looking for him," Rose cried over the connection.

"You won't, sweetheart... But what if he heads back there and we're not there?" Jackie offered. "I'm gonna check a couple more streets and then head back to meet you, okay? We'll think of something."

* * *

Rose agreed, though Jackie could tell that she was miserable. They hung up and Jackie looked around desperately. Doubtful that she'd actually find anything, she meandered to the next street. She stared through the rain and thought she saw a box-like shape perched near the next corner.

Jackie jogged towards it and smiled in relief when she saw the familiar blue color. Upon reaching it, she pulled at the door but it didn't open. She shoulders fell when the doors didn't budge and she leaned against the TARDIS, now thoroughly soaked.

_'Figures that he'd lock it,'_ she thought with resignation. _'And there's no way he'd open the door for me after what I said to him.'_

She sighed and told herself that at least he hadn't gone somewhere or someplace out of reach. She pushed away from the box to head back to her place when she noticed a figure sitting on a bench not far from where the TARDIS was. It barely took a second for her to recognize the long jacket that covered the skinny frame. She could barely see his bare feet below the pajamas before they were hidden by the jacket. The clothes clung to him in the rain, and his hair had literally wilted as well.

Jackie was immediately thankful that he was facing away from her since she had no idea how to proceed from here. She wondered if she shouldn't just call Rose and let her daughter deal with him. A small part of her wanted to turn around and leave before he noticed her, but her guilt over her previous words froze her to the spot.

Feeling more nervous than she'd ever admit to, she stepped towards the bench. He didn't move at all, even as she walked around the bench and stood in front of him. His eyes were closed, his hands resting at his sides idly. If she didn't know any better, she'd guess that he had managed to go to sleep even with all this rain pouring over him.

Wringing her hands, she leaned forward and whispered, "Doctor?" There was no response. She started to wonder if he had indeed fallen asleep. Jackie moved to sit next to him and reached out to touch his hand. His skin was cooler than it usually was, and she remembered with another pang of guilt that he had been injured. "Doctor?" she asked again, lifting his hand and holding it between hers. He still didn't respond, so she did what she did best: become upset.

"Oy!" she said sternly. "I come out all this way in the pouring rain and you go all unresponsive on me! I just want..." at this her momentum failed and she paused before continuing in a calmer voice. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm an idiot. Though I suppose you already knew that," she added wryly.

Still there was no response. "I just... I get so worried about Rose and my mind runs off on me. And I-" she stopped there, considering her words and not liking them at all. "No, tha's not right. There's no excuse for wha' I said to you, an' you deserve more than that."

She barely felt his hand twitch beneath hers, and that small reaction prompted her to continue. "I'm sorry. I do know you care for Rose and that you'll do anything you can to keep her safe," she said, not realizing how true those words were and how much she believed them until she actually spoke them. She trusted this man with her daughter. "And Doctor, she really lives when she's with you. I don't like to see it, or maybe I jus' don't like to admit it, but it's hard for parents to see someone else be their child's everything."

At her words, the Doctor's hand turned to grip hers and she saw his face morph into a pained expression. Though she desperately wanted to question him, to pry loose his thoughts, she forced herself to stay still and silent.

Through the still-falling rain, Jackie was able to hear his breathing pick up. For a long moment, he didn't move or say anything, but neither did he remove his hand from her grasp. Jackie never had been all that good at keeping quiet and, quite frankly, it made her nervous that the Doctor had yet to say something to her.

"She really cares for you, you know," Jackie said quietly. "I'd even go so far as..." she hesitated. She wasn't sure that she could, or even that she should, say what she'd suspected for a while. His hand tensed again and she spoke before she could stop herself. "I'd even say she loves you." She could swear that she felt it when he stopped breathing.

"An' Doctor... My Rose could never love someone who would do all the horrible things I accused you of. I don' know wha' made me say all that... but I am _so_ sorry," she said, her eyes stinging as she felt warm tears mix with the cool rain on her face. Too emotional to add anything else, Jackie stared out into the space before them and listened to the sound of the rain falling. When he spoke, she turned to look at him, but he didn't turn to face her.

"I don't... How could she?" the Doctor whispered, his voice sounding smaller than she'd ever heard before. "How could she possibly... after all I put her through..."

Jackie smiled sadly at his disbelieving tone. "Doctor?" she said, and he finally turned to face her. "Would you say that I'm a stubborn person?" she asked plainly.

He must not have been expecting such a question, because he snorted in laughter and tilted his head down. She smiled at him and said, "Then you probably should know that Rose has inherited that particular gene. She's not going to let some little disaster or some argument between you and me change the fact that she loves you. Trust me. It would've happened long ago if that were the case."

The Doctor sat still for a few moments, gazing out into the rain. With a sigh, he leaned forward a bit and said, "She deserves better."

Jackie rubbed his hand between hers, amazed that it was still so much cooler than it ought to be. "She deserves better than getting the chance to see the universe?" she asked with a smile, knowing that her daughter wouldn't be able to live without it now that she'd seen so much of it. "She deserves better than getting to go on all these adventures? Or are you sayin' that she doesn't deserve to smile like she does whenever she's around you?"

The Doctor shook his head faintly and said, "She doesn't deserve to be faced with such horrors. She doesn't deserve to be around someone who can so easily kill..." He leaned forward as he trailed off, his free arm propped on his leg as the hand gripped his hair. "And in the worst possible..." his voice caught and his grip on her hands increased.

Her heart ached for him. He'd already been anguished by all of what happened, and what had she gone and done? She'd practically accused him of doing it all – of killing all those people – as if he'd wanted it. She wondered briefly if he would choose not to be in those situations, or if he would endure them regardless because in the long run those difficult decisions did help people. "Doctor," she said, wanting to fix this in any way she could, but having no idea how to do so. He interrupted her before she could continue though.

"We saw them all when we left. They were all in such pain..." the Doctor said, burying his hand further into his hair. "And I did that to them," he whispered, and Jackie felt his hand go limp in hers.

Nearly twenty years of parenting Rose hadn't taught her nothing. She didn't care if it should be different because he was an alien, or because he wasn't hers to fuss over. But right now her instincts were screaming at her to _do something_. Before she let herself think it through, Jackie pulled the Doctor towards her.

He didn't pull away, but instead he let himself be drawn down into a hug. The hand that had been tangled in his hair fell uselessly onto his lap. Jackie kept his other hand tight in her grasp and worried as she felt his thin frame shiver against hers. She brought her free arm up to wrap around his shoulders and held him to her tightly. His voice broke as he muttered apologies into her shoulder and she whispered back anything she could think of to console him.

He stayed like that, limp in her arms, for several long minutes. After a little while, Jackie was startled to find that all she could hear was the continuous pour of the rain. She wondered idly how long they had been sitting in that position for her to forget that it was still raining. She glanced down at the Doctor, whose head was now resting on her shoulder, and was surprised by what she saw.

He'd fallen asleep.

Jackie smiled and rested her head on top of his for a moment. A trickle of water ran down her back under her jacket, and she finally realized how cold she was. The Doctor was still shivering, though not as much as before. With a sigh, she lifted an arm to nudge the Doctor's uninjured shoulder. Though she knew it'd be good for him to sleep, it wouldn't do either of them any good to stay out in this rain.

The Doctor jolted upright and stared into the rain for a few seconds as if he'd forgotten where he was. She squeezed his hand briefly and he turned to look at her.

"Come on, Doctor," she said, smiling. "Rose is probably back at the flat now and worrying about the both of us." She stood up and lifted her purse back up onto her shoulder, eyeing the Doctor as he too made to stand up.

He shook his coat out a bit from around his body, but both it and the pajamas below itwere completely soaked and hung limply. As he stood in front of her, dripping wet and with rain plastering his hair down, he grinned tiredly at her.

Jackie looked at him curiously and he explained, "Well, I'd offer my jacket to you, but I'm afraid it wouldn't do much."

She laughed at him as he stuck out an elbow to escort her with. As she put her arm through his, she said, "Oh, I'm afraid there isn't much that can be done about us."

He smirked and turned with her towards the TARDIS. She didn't comment on how he used her arm to steady himself as he still limped slightly on his ankle. She felt a twinge of guilt strike her again at the fact that she'd sent him out like this, but she was stirred from her thoughts when he suddenly stopped just before the doors to the TARDIS.

The Doctor turned to face her and pulled her in for a hug. She quickly returned it and found that she might just understand why Rose enjoyed hugging him. He may be a skinny alien, but he certainly made you feel welcome when you hugged him.

"Thank you, Jackie," he said near her ear. She smiled as he pulled back and she brought a hand up to rest on his cheek.

"You just take care of Rose like you always do, and ignore me when I say something particularly stupid," she instructed. He smirked at her and she added, "And take care of yourself. I want both of you happy and safe. You both deserve it." She leaned forward to hug him again and when she pulled back, he opened the doors of the TARDIS for her.

* * *

The TARDIS materialized back inside Jackie's flat after she demanded that he take it right back where it had been. Barely a moment had passed before Rose flung open the door and rushed in. She stopped just after running in and stared at her mum, who was leaned up against the console. The Doctor moved around it to see Rose and the three stood silently for a moment.

"You..." Rose started, but paused as she actually looked at them. "Why are you both soaking wet?"

"It was raining, dear," Jackie replied kindly and the Doctor snickered quietly behind her.

"I was out in it too, but I'm not totally soaked," Rose said. Turning slightly to gaze at the Doctor, she asked sarcastically, "Did you accidentally fly the TARDIS into a lake again?"

The Doctor's calm expression changed into a look of mock outrage. "Oy! I'd like to see you fly her better than me!"

"You still haven't denied it," Rose commented, smirking at him.

"Come on, it was _one_ time! Besides, I seem to remember you enjoying that," the Doctor quipped back at her.

Jackie shook her head and rolled her eyes at the pair before saying, "Alright you two, tha's enough." She turned to look between the Doctor and her daughter and smiled. "I think it's time for some dry clothes an' hot chocolate. Come on!"

The Doctor turned to head away from the console room, but not to the door of the TARDIS. Jackie spun and grabbed onto his jacket and said, "That included you, you crazy alien."

He held up his hands in surrender and said, "I was just going to get a set of dry clothes!"

"And then you're getting your skinny self inside and having hot chocolate!" Jackie exclaimed, putting her hands on her hips and staring at him. Behind her, Rose snickered and bit her lip to try and contain her laughter as the Doctor was scolded by her mum.

"Yes, Mum!" he said, grinning cheekily at her. As he limped down the hallway, he called, "I won't be long!"

Jackie nodded to herself and turned to pull a now giggling Rose out of the TARDIS and into her kitchen. Once in the kitchen, Rose let her laughter loose and sank into a chair while Jackie went to get changed. When she got back to the kitchen, she started getting the hot chocolate ready while Rose opened a few bags of cookies.

"Well, it looks like you two aren't ready to kill each other anymore," Rose said, smiling and sounding relieved at the prospect.

Jackie nodded with a smile and filled the kettle with water as she said, "I want you to do somethin' for me, Rose."

"Yeah? Wha's that, Mum?" Rose asked.

She turned and looked at her daughter. "I want you two to visit me more often. An' not just more often for me, but more often for you as well, if tha' makes any sense..." she trailed off before shrugging. Rose looked at her curiously, so she explained, "I've always worried about you, sweetheart, and I just realized that I'm gonna worry 'bout him just as much. An' I wanna be able to know that you're both alrigh'."

Rose smiled at her mum and nodded. They were interrupted from saying anything else when the Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS and made his way into the kitchen. In one hand was a bright blue bag that looked similar to a bag of coffee beans. He grinned at the two of them and held up the bag.

"Ah, you wonderful Tyler women, allow me to introduce you to the most glorious hot chocolate in existence! It's from the planet Six-Cee, you know, the sixth planet in the Cee system. Absolutely wonderful place – we should go there, Rose. Anyways, they spend an equivalent to a hundred Earth years perfecting each bag of cocoa powder and each sample tastes different! It's brilliant and it makes you feel fantastic!"

Rose started snickering again and asked, "What's the name of it?"

"Well, they haven't really given it a name, which is odd since it's one of the only thing that brings in trade from other systems," he explained, staring at the ceiling as he thought about it. "You'd think they'd market it better. But everyone just refers to it as the Six-Cee Powder. You'd be amazed at how many people would travel there to get some!" At that, Rose burst out laughing.

Jackie closed her eyes and shook her head before asking, "You're wanting us to try..." she paused at the name, which the Doctor interpreted as a sign for him to keep talking.

"Six-Cee Powder, yes. Go on, scoop out a few teaspoonfuls and we'll try it together!" the Doctor encouraged, handing her the bag. As he turned to sit down, Jackie and Rose shared a look and nearly died laughing.

The Doctor just stared at them as he sat down at the table across from Rose. "What's so funny? You haven't even tried it yet, don't laugh at it until you've at least tried it!"

"Doctor!" Rose gasped. "You're offering me and my mum some sexy cocoa?"

Jackie burst out laughing again and said, "My, I never would've thought you aliens were so feisty!"

He opened his mouth to respond when it finally made sense to him. He smacked himself on the forehead and then laid his head down on the table. "That's it. I give up."

Both Jackie and Rose laughed some more and Rose reached across the table and grabbed one of his hands, choking out, "But Doc... Doctor, I'd _love_ to try some of your sexy cocoa!" He snorted in laughter but didn't raise his head up even as Jackie walked up and grabbed the bag while ruffling his hair.

The three continued to laugh as she got the alien cocoa ready. She smiled as she glanced over at Rose, who was still holding the Doctor's hand across the table while he kept his head hidden under his arm. They'd be just fine. A bit absurd, but that was to be expected.

* * *

A month later found the Doctor and Rose finishing up yet another exciting adventure. The two walked back into the TARDIS, smiling about having survived yet another near-death experience, when the ship's phone beeped from the console.

"Wha's that?" Rose asked, glancing over at the new sound.

The Doctor bounded up to the phone and pushed a button while saying, "Must've had a call. And we've got a message!"

A moment later, a very familiar voice echoed through the ship. "_Doctor, this is Jackie. I hope you and Rose are alright. I'm calling 'cause I've run out of that sexy cocoa an' I need some more. Go get some and then you and Rose can come for a visit. I'll make shepherd's pie for dinner! And I picked up some more cookies! Give my love to Rose! Buh-bye!"_

Rose was laughing silently at the message even as the Doctor walked around the console, pushing buttons and pulling levels here and there. Remembering her mum's request, she asked, "So can we go for a visit, Doctor?"

"Of course!" he exclaimed, using his left foot for one of the levers. "We'll just make one quick stop..."

Rose stared at him before grinning with her tongue poking out at him. "What for?"

He grinned back and said, "I wouldn't want to show up at Jackie's without sexy cocoa in hand."

She laughed and then winced before saying, "Doctor, please don't ever use the word "sexy" in the same sentence as my mum's name... ever." He grinned at her and she shook her head playfully as they departed to get the aforementioned necessitie

* * *

**Wow so was that last part lame or what?! :) Thanks for reading, and if you've read to the end, please take the time to leave a quick note in a review! I hope the story was alright :) To all those that favorited and reviewed, thank you so much! Have a great summer, everyone!**


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